Have you ever desired to be great? If so, you are not alone. From the beginning of time until now, people have been grasping for greatness. Some have plotted, schemed, and trampled over other people in order to get to the top – only to come crashing down to ruin in the end. But there are others who followed the true path to greatness, and as they progressed, they helped and blessed the lives of many others around them.

What is the true path to greatness? How can someone become great?

First of all, it is important to know that desiring to be great is not wrong. A life of greatness is actually what God desires for each one of us. What is wrong is to be arrogant and to seek greatness for the purpose of trying to being better than everybody else. That is not being great – that is being a bully!

True Greatness comes from something much deeper. It begins in our heart and in the makeup of our character.

Greatness comes from depending entirely on God to promote and lead us forward in life. If we try to become great through our own efforts, we will eventually fail. It is only through following after God and His way of doing things that we can obtain greatness in our life.

It is God’s Spirit at work in our life that produces greatness. As we just read in Psalm 18.35, it is the Lord’s gentleness – His love, mercy, meekness, humility, condescension – that makes us great.

Jesus said, “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.” (Matthew 20.26) To be great, we must be a servant.

What does it mean to be a servant? Galatians 5.13 (MSG) instructs: “It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom.”

That is also an act of true greatness. God’s word also urges us not to do anything through selfish ambition or conceit. Instead, we should put ourselves aside and look out not only for our own interests, but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2.3-4). Romans 12.10 further instructs us to love each other with genuine affection, brotherly love, and take delight in honouring and giving preference to one another.

Each of these godly characteristics not only produce greatness, they are the mark of greatness. Not everyone is willing to honour, serve and give preference to others. And not everyone is willing to be dependent entirely on the Lord and to let Him have His way in their life. But anyone who is totally dependent on Him and is willing to love, serve and obey Him and His Word, is a person who is truly great and God will raise them to places and positions of greatness beyond anything they could ask for or dream.

When God called Abraham to follow Him, He said: “I will make of you a great nation; I will bless you, and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing.” (Genesis 12.2) Because Abraham depended entirely on God, trusting and obeying Him, the Lord blessed Abraham in all things, and he became very great. He was very rich in livestock, in silver, in gold, and he had many servants (Genesis 13.2 / 24.1, 35)

We can experience blessing and greatness, just like Abraham did, when we depend completely on the Lord walk in His ways of love, mercy, humility, and honour.

The Lord promised: “Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride upon the high places of the earth.” (Isaiah 58.14)

Taking delight and pleasure in the Lord, and obeying Him by walking in love, honour, and humility is not only a good way to live…it is trulyA Call to Greatness.